In 18 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, Spire Motorsports has logged two top-25 finishes. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Clear Spring Health Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, has finished 21st twice (spring 2021, spring 2023) at the famed three-quarter mile Richmond oval. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The Cookout 400 from Richmond Raceway will be televised live on USA, Sunday, August 11th, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 23rd of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on USA will take the green flag at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Corey LaJoie will pilot the Advisor Advantage Marketing/Clear Spring Health No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s Cookout 400 at Richmond Raceway.
In 13 previous NCS starts at “The Action Track,” the 32-year-old has recorded a venue-best finish of 21st on two occasions (spring 2021 and spring 2023).
Clear Spring Health, a Group 1001 company, is an entrepreneurial, second-generation Medicare insurance company offering consumer-focused products and innovative healthcare tools. For more information, visit clearspringhealthcare.com.
LaJoie has earned his stripes in the Commonwealth of Virginia, collecting the checkered flag and a grandfather clock trophy in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competition at Martinsville Speedway in October 2022.
The father of three also picked up victories at Langley Speedway (Hampton, Va.) in 2012 in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East competition and South Boston Speedway during the 2006 Aaron’s Pro Challenge Series.
The Concord, N.C., native was the championship runner-up in the 14-race ARCA Menards Series East (formerly K&N Pro Series East) in 2012. He recorded five wins, 10 top fives and led 385 laps, falling just 14 points short of the driver’s championship title.
Last time out, LaJoie started 19th and finished 14th in the Brickyard 400 in NASCAR’s return to the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Over 258 NCS starts, the father of three has earned four top-five and nine top-10 finishes and led 161 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.Corey LaJoie Quotes
How is the option tire going to influence the competition over the course of the weekend?
“We have four opportunities to punch our ticket to the playoffs. The option tire will be a new variable and a new challenge for the teams to overcome. I’m ready to get back to work after the break and finish the year strong.”
Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Sunday will mark Zane Smith’s second NASCAR Cup Series start at Richmond Raceway driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. It marks his 23rd start for Spire Motorsports and his 32nd career NCS start.
This weekend, teams will have two Goodyear tire options for the 400-lap event, a softer option tire for short-term grip with less durability and a harder, prime tire for longer-lasting performance. Teams will be allocated six sets of prime tires and two sets of option tires for the race, including one prime set carried over from qualifying. Teams must qualify on prime tires but can choose either compound for the race.
In the NCS April stop at Richmond, Smith started 28th and appeared ready to post a top-20 finish, but a speeding penalty with 84 laps remaining in the race dropped him to 35th in the final rundown.
Before the two-week olympic break, Smith and his No. 71 Spire Motorsports team finished 17th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The rookie started 28th and worked his way forward from the drop of the green flag, reaching third place with less than 15 laps remaining before having to pit for fuel under caution with three laps left in the race.
Smith will carry the No. 71 primary sponsor, Focused Health, Sunday evening at Richmond. The blue and orange paint scheme represents a health insurance agency that assists consumers and employers in navigating the myriad of health insurance options in the government programs space.
Focused Health is a National Health Insurance agency founded by industry veterans with over 60 years combined industry experience. Primarily focused on the government programs space, Focused Health partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.Zane Smith Quotes
Second half of the season is here, how are you feeling after the two-week break, heading into Richmond?
“I enjoyed the two-week break and feel recharged heading into the second half of the season. We have had a lot of positive momentum on our side the last couple of races and continuing to build off that should set us up for some really good finishes. I am thankful for my 71 Spire Motorsports team and all the hard work they put into making the car better and better every weekend. Looking forward to getting back to Richmond this weekend!”
Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Carson Hocevar will make his second NCS start at Richmond Raceway in Sunday’s Cook Out 400, driving the No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports.
Last time out, Hocevar started 30th and finished 12th in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Delaware Life Insurance Company (“Delaware Life”) has made its mission to deliver pure value to its network of financial professionals with a set of tools and products that help them empower their clients to plan for retirement with confidence. Delaware Life’s focus is delivering a seamless experience that gives clients exactly what they’re looking for: the comfort of understanding, the confidence of transparency, and streamlined products without needless features. Learn more at www.delawarelife.com.
In his lone NCS start at Richmond Raceway, the Portage, Mich., native started 25th and finished 27th.
The 21-year-old is a former winner at Richmond Raceway, scoring a victory in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) competition in 2023. Hocevar was forced to start at the tail of the field after the team found a flat tire following qualifying. He went on to race his way to the front, leading 64 laps enroute to his third-of-four NCTS victories in 2023.
Hocevar has four NCTS starts at Richmond, collecting two top 10s and earning an 11.7 average finish.
The youngest NCS driver in the field sits 24th in the driver championship point standings. Over the course of the season’s first 22 races, Hocevar has notched two top-10 and six top-15 finishes.
Crew chief Luke Lambert has been atop the box for two top-five finishes at "The Action Track" in the NCS. He led Jeff Burton to a fifth-place finish in the spring of 2013 and Ryan Newman to a third-place finish in 2017’s fall event.Carson Hocevar Quotes
You had a chance to reset during the break, and you are returning to a track in which you’ve visited victory lane. Do you feel ready to go this week at Richmond?
“I’m excited to go racing, especially because we ran well the last few weeks before we went on break. To be able to finally go back racing is going to be a lot of fun for our group. My last showing at Richmond wasn’t what we wanted, but the transition from trucks to Cup is a whole new level. Knowing what it takes to run solid and win at Richmond still applies. I’m hoping we can bounce back and show what we’re really capable of at this track.”
You won a micro-sprint race at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, N.C., during the two-week break. Does racing in other classes help you sharpen your skills in a Cup car?
“I see it as a positive to be able to race whenever possible. It’s fun to go race, and it helps me stay sharp during the time off. Not being in a race car for two full weeks feels super weird, so being able to compete, race and even win is beneficial for me. It gets me ready to go back to racing the rest of the season.”
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